Notes in PDF format
Kentucky Wildcats (1-3)
vs.
#6/6 North Carolina Tar Heels (3-1)
Game 5 – Dec. 2, 2000 – 3:50 p.m. ET
Smith Center (21,572) – Chapel Hill, N.C.
RADIO
UK Radio Network — 90+ stations Ralph Hacker, Sam Bowie and Dave Baker call the action.
TELEVISION
CBS Sports — Nationwide
Jim Nantz and Billy Packer with the call.
INTERNET
UKathletics.com — UK’s official website has up-to-date information on the 2001 Wildcats available as well as the live audio broadcast and for home games, live in-game statistics.
Hoop Heavyweights Resume Rivalry
The top two all-time winningest college basketball teams resume their rivalry in Chapel Hill when Kentucky visits North Carolina to tip off the CBS college basketball coverage for the 2001 season.
The meeting is the first of a new four-year, home-and-home contract and it’s the first meeting between the two teams since the 1995 Southeast Regional title game which UNC won, 74-61.
Kentucky hopes to get back on track after beginning its season with a 1-3 record. The Cats lost two games in New York at the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, falling to St. John’s by one point and to UCLA by five in overtime. After a win over Jacksonville State, the Cats dropped their home opener last Saturday to Penn State, snapping UK’s 20-game home win streak.
North Carolina won its first two games at home in the NABC Classic, then defeated host Appalachian State before losing on the road Wednesday to No. 2 Michigan State in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
This is Tubby Smith’s 300th game as a head coach.
Probable StartersKENTUCKY No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. Ppg Rpg Hometown 21 Tayshaun Prince F 6-9 215 Jr. 10.5 6.0 Compton, Calif. 24 Marvin Stone F 6-10 248 So. 9.8 7.0 Huntsville, Ala. 42 Jason Parker C 6-8 255 Fr. 10.5 7.8 Charlotte, N.C. 10 Keith Bogans G 6-5 205 So. 15.0 6.5 Alexandria, Va. 11 Saul Smith G 6-2 175 Sr. 8.0 *5.5 Athens, Ga.
NORTH CAROLINA 25 Jason Capel F 6-8 230 Jr. 8.8 4.8 Fayetteville, N.C. 42 Kris Lang F 6-11 256 Jr. 16.0 5.8 Gastonia, N.C. 00 Brendan Haywood C 7-0 268 Sr. 13.8 6.5 Greensboro, N.C. 40 Joseph Forte G 6-4 192 So. 19.8 5.2 Greenbelt, Md. 31 Adam Boone G 6-2 192 Fr. 2.8 2.8 Minneapolis, Minn.
* Assists per game
Coaching ComparisonsOrlando Tubby Smith (High Point 73) Overall (10th year) 211-88 (70.6%) at UK (4th year) 87-26 (77.0%) SEC Tournament (5 yrs.) 10-3 (76.9%) NCAA Tournament (7 yrs.) 16-6 (72.7%)
Matt Doherty (North Carolina 84) Overall (2nd year) 25-16 (61.0%) at Carolina (1st year) 3-1 vs. Kentucky 0-0
Team Comparisons UK UNCRecord 1-3 3-1Scoring Offense 78.0 80.0 Scoring Defense 70.0 72.0 Scoring Margin +8.0 +8.0 FG % 45.5 46.4 FG % Defense 38.9 41.83FG % 26.4 40.33FG % Defense 38.8 33.7Free Throw % 56.6 68.9Rebound Average 45.2 35.8Opp Rebound Av. 37.0 38.2Rebound Margin +8.2 -2.4TO Average 17.8 14.0Opponent TO 18.0 17.3TO Margin +0.2 +3.3Blocks Average 3.3 6.8Steals Average 6.8 8.5
Story Lines
As if a Kentucky-North Carolina basketball game needed any story lines…
UK freshman Jason Parker, who has started all four games at forward for the Cats, had planned on attending Carolina until the school ruled him academically ineligible in mid-August. When Parker contacted Kentucky, a team that had recruited him during his high school career in Charlotte, the Wildcats discovered an error in the GPA calculation of his high school transcript. The correction was approved by the NCAA Clearinghouse and Parker was ruled eligible to play immediately for UK.
Sophomores Keith Bogans (UK) and Joseph Forte (UNC) were teammates for high-powered DeMatha Catholic in Hyattsville, Md., leading Morgan Wootten’s Stags to a 34-1 record and a No. 3 ranking in 1999. Bogans, a McDonald’s and Parade All-American, was second on the team in scoring, averaging 17.9 ppg and 7.0 rpg. Forte, a first-team All-American by USA Today, led the squad by averaging 22.1 ppg and 8.0 rpg.
Tubby Smith looks for his first win over UNC. Dean Smith’s 1996 team beat Tubby Smith’s first Georgia team 85-74 in Chapel Hill. For UK’s Smith, its his third trip to the Dean Dome. As an assistant coach under Rick Pitino in 1990-91, the Wildcats led by 10 before a late rally gave the Heels an 84-81 victory.
Matt Doherty is coaching his first game against Kentucky. His Notre Dame team last season lost to Arizona in the Preseason NIT semifinals, eliminating the chance for the Cats and Irish to battle in the title game. As an assistant coach at Kansas, the Jayhawks lost to UK twice, once in the 1998 Great Eight in Chicago (63-45) and again later that season in the 1999 NCAA Tournament, a 92-88 overtime defeat in the second round in New Orleans.
It’s Kentucky-North Carolina… the battle of the blues.
Tickets for Sale
Tickets to the next two UK home games — Eastern Kentucky (Dec. 5) and High Point (Dec. 27) — are on sale at the UK ticket office in Memorial Coliseum and the Rupp Arena box office. Seats can be purchased by phone, 800-928-CATS or 859-233-3565, or on the Internet at UKathletics.com.
Series History
No team in college basketball has dominated Kentucky like North Carolina. Despite UK having more all-time victories and four more NCAA Championships, the Tar Heels hold a 16-6 advantage in the 22 games between the powerhouses. Among the 28 major conferences listed on pages 256-257 of the UK media guide, Kentucky has a losing record to seven of the 161 opponents it has played from those leagues. The other six are Georgetown (0-2), Saint Louis (8-9), Cornell (0-1), USC (0-2), Middle Tennessee State (0-1) and UTEP (0-1).
North Carolina has won the last six games in the series and eight of the last nine meetings. UK’s last win came on Dec. 9, 1974, a 90-78 victory in Louisville as UK star Jimmy Dan Conner scored 35 points for the Cats.
In the last meeting in Birmingham, top-seeded Kentucky fell 74-61 in the 1995 NCAA Tournament. Jerry Stackhouse and UNC eliminated UK and Rodrick Rhodes to advance to the Final Four.
The teams last played a two-game regular-season series in 1989-90, Rick Pitino’s first year as head coach with Tubby Smith as an assistant. The shootout in Louisville gave North Carolina a 121-110 victory over the outmanned Cats. Reggie Hanson, now a UK assistant coach, finished with 18 points in that contest. The following year, UK made its first and only visit to the Dean Dome, leading by as many as 10 points, 69-59, with 8:40 to play. But a Rick Fox three-pointer and a Pete Chilcutt layup inside the final minute boosted the Heels to victory. Hanson, a senior that season, scored 10 points in the game.
Kentucky is 0-1 in Chapel Hill. Fifteen of the games in the 22-game series have been played at neutral sites.
UK vs. ACC
The Cats finished with a 2-1 record against Atlantic Coast Conference teams last year, splitting two games with Maryland (regular season and Preseason NIT) and picking up a victory over Georgia Tech. Overall, UK is 111-50 against ACC teams (68.9%), highlighted by a 56-14 record vs. the Ramblin’ Wreck. Kentucky also plays Georgia Tech next Saturday at Philips Arena in Atlanta.
Parker Notes
In the 1999 North Carolina 4A State Championship game, Jason Parker scored 38 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in the Smith Center to lead West Charlotte High to the title. His effort captured the Tar Heels’ attention on the recruiting trail.
Parker’s first return to his home region has put a premium on tickets for family and friends. At last count, the frosh needed 17 of the Dean Dome’s 21,572 seats.
His double-double against Penn State — 15 points and 15 rebounds — was the first of his career and the first by a Wildcat this season.
The History/Tradition Clash
Kentucky and North Carolina rank among the elite in college basketball. Examples include:
NCAA Championships1. UCLA 112. Kentucky 73. Indiana 54. North Carolina 3
NCAA Final Fours1. North Carolina 152. UCLA 143. Kentucky 13
All-Time Victories1. Kentucky 1,7722. North Carolina 1,758
All-Time Winning Percentage1. Kentucky 76.2% (1772-551-1)2. North Carolina 73.8% (1758-624)
NCAA Tournament Appearances1. Kentucky 412. UCLA 353. North Carolina 34
NCAA Tournament Games1. Kentucky 1212. North Carolina 114
NCAA Tournament Wins1. Kentucky 852. North Carolina 80
Final Four Wins1. UCLA 242. Kentucky 173. Duke 124. Indiana 114. North Carolina 11
All-Time Winningest Coaches1. Dean Smith, UNC 879-254 (77.6%)2. Adolph Rupp, UK 876-190 (82.2%)
Carolina Connections
Tubby Smith was an all-conference performer at High Point College (N.C.) and later coached high school basketball at Hoke County High School in Raeford, N.C., from 1977-79. His son Saul was born at the Pinehurst Hospital during his second year coaching at Hoke County.
Assistant Coach Mike Sutton is a 78 graduate of East Carolina. Sutton grew up in Greenville and began his coaching career at his alma mater, D.H. Conley High School. He later earned his master’s degree at Appalachian State while coaching at Lees-McRae Junior College and also served on Smith’s staff at Hoke County High School.
Assistant coach Reggie Hanson was born in Charlotte, N.C. and lived there until he was 11 years old. The family then moved to Somerset, Ky.
Gerald Fitch and Max Owens attended the same high school in Macon, Ga., but not at the same time. Owens, a senior at UNC, attended Central High as a freshman and sophomore before transferring to Mt. Zion. Fitch, a UK freshman, attended Central for his freshman year before Westside opened in his district. While the two never played organized basketball together, they faced off on the playgrounds around Macon on numerous occasions.
North Carolina guard/quarterback Ronald Curry was the 98 High School Player of the Year as a senior in Hampton, Va. During the semifinals of the Virginia state tournament in 98, UK freshman Cliff Hawkins, then a sophomore at Potomac High, held Curry to six points while leading his team to victory with a game-high 31 points. Curry did not play basketball last season for the Tar Heels after injuring his Achille’s tendon during the football season.
The Spark
Erik Daniels, the surprise of the freshman class, has led UK in scoring in each of the last two games. Against Penn State, the Cincinnati native had 16 points in 15 minutes before spraining his left ankle late in the game. He made a king’s return to the Queen City last month, scoring a career-high 19 points on 3-for-3 shooting from the field and 12-of-14 shooting from the foul line. Impressive results considering he underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on Oct. 10, four days before practice began, and just began practicing with the team on Nov. 3. After not seeing action against St. John’s, he came in during the first half of the UCLA game to spark the Cats with eight points before halftime. He hit his first nine shots over a three-game period and ranks second on the team in scoring (14.3 ppg), first in FG% (92.9%) after missing only one shot in three games, first in 3FG% (80.0%) and first in FT% (68.4%).
UK vs. Ranked Opponents
Kentucky is 0-1 against teams ranked in the Top 25 this season. The Cats lost to UCLA when the Bruins were ranked 19th. Last season, UK was 6-8 against ranked opponents.
The Wildcats dropped from the Top 25 rankings this week after their 1-3 start. UK began the season ranked 12th in both the AP and coaches poll. The Cats were out of the rankings for three weeks last season, Dec. 13-27, following a 4-4 start.
Early Returns
In the four games UK has played this season, the Cats are averaging 78.0 ppg, up from 69.1 ppg a year ago.
After finishing the 2000 season with nine players on the roster, Tubby Smith stated he would need more depth in 2001. In the four regular-season games, nine Wildcats are averaging more than 10 minutes per game.
November Losses
Annually, UK plays a demanding schedule thanks to invitations to play in numerous pre-conference tournaments. Consequently, Kentucky has lost a game in the month of November in each of the past six seasons.
Nov. 95 1-1
Nov. 96 3-1
Nov. 97 4-1
Nov. 98 5-1
Nov. 99 3-2
Nov. 00 1-3
Disabled List
Erik Daniels sprained his left ankle against Penn State late in the game and did not return to practice until Wednesday this week. He’s listed as probable.
Todd Tackett is still rehabilitating a knee that was scoped last spring. He began practicing light drills with the team last week. He may be a redshirt candidate.
Three Mania
Kentucky’s streak of hitting a three in consecutive games has reached 411 games, the longest among teams who have failed to make a three in every game since the rule was adopted in 1987. Overall, it’s the nation’s fourth-longest streak, trailing UNLV, Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech, which have all hit a three-pointer in every game since the rule was adopted. The Wildcats’ last game without a three-pointer came against Seton Hall on Nov. 26, 1988, a three-point loss in the Great Alaska Shootout.
Rupp’s 25th
This is the 25th season that the University of Kentucky has played basketball in Rupp Arena. It was opened as the largest built-for-basketball arena in the nation and has since seen UK achieve a 317-36 record, a sterling 89.8 winning percentage. This season, UK is 0-1 there. Overall, UK has not had a losing season at home in 72 years, the longest streak in the nation. The winning seasons began in 1927-28 when the Cats were 6-2 at home. The Wildcats have won 13 national attendance titles since the building opened, including the last five in a row.
Coaching Staff Changes
It was quite the coaching carousel for the Wildcats this past off-season. In July, assistant coach Shawn Finney was named the new head coach at Tulane. With the departure of administrative assistant Simeon Mars, Coach Tubby Smith hired David Hobbs as an assistant coach, promoted George Felton to associate head coach and brought in former UK star Reggie Hanson as the team’s administrative assistant. Hanson’s position was quickly upgraded to Director of Basketball Operations. In October, Felton accepted a scout position with the Indiana Pacers the week before practice was set to begin at UK. Hanson was then promoted to assistant coach and will assume an off-campus recruiting role as well.
The Wildcats own an unparalleled tradition of success. Since 1903, the University of Kentucky has fielded 98 basketball teams. The first national championship was an NIT title in 1946. The first NCAA Championship came in 1948 and the latest, No. 7, occurred in 1998. No other program can claim the unparalleled success that matches the Wildcats’ efforts throughout the past century.
Highlights include:
Seven NCAA titles (1948, ’49, ’51, ’58, ’78, ’96, 98);
The all-time winningest team in college hoops:
1. Kentucky 1,772
2. North Carolina 1,758
3. Kansas 1,717
The highest all-time winning percentage in college basketball — 76.2% (1,772-551-1);
Three NCAA runner-up trophies;
13 Final Four appearances;
A national-record 41 NCAA tournament appearances;
40 SEC Championships;
22 SEC Tournament titles;
Ten 30-win seasons;
37 players chosen All-American 54 times;
87 Wildcats drafted by the NBA.
2000-01 Trends
1-2 When leading at halftime
0-0 When tied at halftime
0-1 When trailing at halftime
1-2 When UK scores first
0-1 When opponent scores first
1-1 When leading with 5 minutes to play
0-2 When trailing with 5 minutes to play
0-0 When score tied with 5 minutes to play
1-1 When leading with 2 minutes to play
0-2 When trailing with 2 minutes to play
0-0 When score tied with 2 minutes to play
0-1 In games decided by three points or less
0-2 In games decided by 4-10 points
1-0 When UK shoots 60% or better FG
0-0 When UK shoots 50% or better FG
0-3 When UK shoots less than 50% FG
0-1 When UK shoots less than 40% FG
0-1 When UK makes more 3FG
0-2 When opponent makes more 3FG
1-0 When 3FG made are the same
0-3 When UK outrebounds opponent
1-0 When opponent outrebounds UK
0-0 When rebounds are the same
0-2 When playing on national TV
0-0 When playing on regional TV
0-1 When playing on the weekend
1-2 When playing on a weekday
0-0 When starting after 10 p.m. ET
0-1 When starting after 9 p.m. ET
1-1 When game starts between 7-9 p.m.
0-1 With an afternoon start
0-1 In overtime games
1-3 In November
0-0 In December
0-0 In January
0-0 In February
0-0 In March
1-2 In home white uniforms
0-1 In away blue uniforms
Wildcats vs. Conferences
0-0 vs. Atlantic Coast
0-1 vs. Big East
0-0 vs. Big South
0-1 vs. Big Ten
0-0 vs. Conference USA
0-0 vs. Ohio Valley
0-1 vs. Pac-10
0-0 vs. SEC
1-0 vs. Trans America
Record vs. Lineup
1-3 vs. Prince, Stone, Parker, Smith, Bogans
SEASON NOTES
Coaches vs. Cancer IKON Classic
Thursday — Nov. 9
Kansas 99, UCLA 98
St. John’s 62, Kentucky 61
Friday — Nov. 10
UCLA 97, Kentucky 92 – OT
Kansas 82, St. John’s 74
Season Openers
The loss to St. John’s was the first loss in a season opener since the Cats fell to Clemson on Nov. 15, 1996, the earliest start to a season prior to this year. Kentucky is now 81-17 overall in season openers.
Home Openers
After a shocking upset to Penn State, Kentucky is 84-14 all-time in home openers. Nine of those losses occurred before Adolph Rupp began coaching in 1930. The Cats are 65-5 since 1930, losing the home opener in 1955 to Temple, 1962 to Va. Tech, 1972 to Iowa and 1988 to Northwestern State. The PSU victory was the second home opening loss in the Rupp Arena era (1976-present).
Furs and Feathers
The Wildcats beat the Jacksonville State Gamecocks last Tuesday, 91-48, UK’s largest margin of victory since its 45-point win over UNC Asheville last December.
Kentucky shot 60% from the field for the first time since March 12, 1999, when the Cats hit 61.2% of their shots in an NCAA Tournament first-round win over New Mexico State.
The Cats’ defense, a staple of a Tubby Smith-coached team, forced Jacksonville State into 33 turnovers, the most by an opponent in the Smith era. The last time the Cats forced 33 turnovers in a game was Feb. 5, 1995, a 77-71 win over Syracuse. The Rupp Arena record is 42 by UT-Martin earlier that same season (11/26/94).
UK totaled 16 steals vs. JSU, the most since tallying 16 against Georgia Tech and Florida during the 1999 season.
BIG BLUE MANIA
A Collector’s Item?
Spotted laying on the receptionist’s desk in the UK basketball office this week was a Kentucky blue cast — no leg attached — that at one time likely stabilized an individual’s foot up to the knee. It’s purpose? An adult that attended one of Tubby Smith’s Father/Son Basketball Camps last summer tore his Achille’s tendon, and after removing the cast, forwarded it back to the basketball office to be autographed.
Keightley Begins 40th Season
Kentucky equipment manager Bill Keightley is in his 40th season on the UK sidelines. The beloved Mr. Wildcat has served UK since 1961-62, watching the Cats roll to a 920-283 record during that era. Keightley, who has a jersey retired in the rafters of Rupp Arena, has worked under five different head coaches at UK — Rupp, Hall, Sutton, Pitino and Smith.
Wiggins Keeps on Coming
Big Blue fan Bob Wiggins continues his amazing streak of following the basketball Cats. Wiggins, who is retired and lives in Falmouth, Ky., saw 615 consecutive games — home and away — from 1977 until he suffered a heart attack just before the 1996 Great Alaska Shootout. The illness forced him to miss four games, but he has since returned to see every contest in person. Meanwhile, his home court streak is still intact. Wiggins has not missed a home game in 40 years, a streak spanning 564 games. During that period, which dates back to 1960-61, UK has a home record of 501-63. In all, he’s in his 48th season following UK. He has attended 148 straight games and 1,161 overall.
Spotted Around the Globe
Former Wildcat Wayne Turner, who played last season for the Cincinnati Stuff of the IBL, is currently touring with the Harlem Globetrotters. Unfortunately, Turner and the squad lost for the first time in 1,270 games, falling by four to Michigan State. It’s the first year NCAA rules permitted the Globetrotters, the world’s most popular basketball team, to participate in exhibition games against college teams.
Cats in the 2001 NBA
Kentucky is again well represented in the NBA. On opening day rosters, UK had 10 players participating. They were (and still are):
Derek Anderson San Antonio Tony Delk Phoenix Walter McCarty Boston Jamaal Magloire Charlotte Jamal Mashburn Charlotte Ron Mercer Chicago Nazr Mohammed Philadelphia Scott Padgett Utah Mark Pope Milwaukee Antoine Walker Boston Rex Chapman, with 12 years under his belt in the NBA, retired from Phoenix after an injury this past summer. Jeff Sheppard was waived late by Toronto and has returned to Italy to continue his professional career.
PRESEASON CAT SCRATCHES
Tubby’s Time… Busy
In late October, Coach Smith spent a day in Chicago as a member of an NCAA Committee to study basketball issues. Smith is one of several active coaches on the committee that includes Mike Krzyzewski of Duke and Oregon’s Ernie Kent. The committee is studying a number of different issues, including summer recruiting and the 5/8s rule, which allows schools to sign eight student-athletes over a two-year period but no more than five in one season. In June, Smith spoke before members of Congress on the issue of sports gambling. He teamed with South Carolina’s Lou Holtz and U.S. presidential hopeful John McCain on eliminating legal wagering on college sporting events. This past summer, he was an assistant coach for the US Olympic Basketball Team which captured the gold medal at the summer games in Sydney, Australia. Unfortunately, coaches are not given a gold medal, but as WHAS radio personality Terry Meiners said, “Smith came home with a freezer full of kangaroo meat.”
UK Men Sign Three
Josh Carrier of Bowling Green, Ky., Chuck Hayes of Modesto, Calif., and Rashaad Carruth of College Park, Ga., signed national letters of intent during the November signing period to play basketball at Kentucky. Carrier, a 6-5 guard at Bowling Green High School, is the son of former ABA star and Western Kentucky All-American Darel Carrier. The younger Carrier made the Street & Smith High Honorable Mention All-America list this fall after earning first-team All-State honors last spring from the Louisville Courier-Journal and the Lexington Herald-Leader. In 29 games last season, he averaged 23.8 points per game, while shooting 45 percent from the field and 41 percent from three-point range. In leading Coach Ernie Simpson’s team to a 4th Region semifinal berth, Carrier was named the region’s MVP. “Everyone knows of Josh’s outstanding career at Bowling Green High School,” Smith said. “He has great bloodlines for the game of basketball since his dad, Darel Carrier, was an All-American at Western. Josh knows the game, he understands UK basketball since he’s grown up here in the state and he’ll provide needed depth on our perimeter.” Hayes, a 6-7, 235-pound forward at Modesto Christian, is a four-year varsity letterman who led his squad to a 35-2 record last season. He averaged 26 points, 19 rebounds and seven assists per game to earn All-District, All-League and All-State honors. In the 2000 Northern California finals, he grabbed 31 rebounds, a California High School record for all divisions. Hayes, who was an All-State football player as a sophomore, benches 295 pounds, squats 450 pounds, runs the 40-yard dash in 4.8 seconds and carries a 3.0 GPA, according to his coach, Gary Porter. “Chuck brings that physical presence to our team. He’s versatile and can play either the small or power forward positions,” Smith said. “He’s had a great scholastic career and he’s an amazing athlete who will have an immediate impact on our team.” Hayes has been named the District Player of the Year the last two seasons and averaged 19 points and 16 rebounds as a sophomore. Carruth, a 6-3 guard from Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va., will join two former Oak Hill stars already on the Kentucky roster – Jules Camara and former teammate Cliff Hawkins. Carruth is known as one of the top shooters in the senior class and is ranked by most analysts as one of the top 25 players in the nation. He transferred to Oak Hill midway through his sophomore season and last year led Coach Steve Smith’s Warriors in scoring, averaging 17.3 ppg. He shot 50.2 percent from the field, 43.8 percent from three-point range and 81.9 percent from the foul line in leading Oak Hill to a 30-2 record and a final No. 2 ranking by USA Today. This year, Oak Hill is ranked No. 1 in the national preseason poll. “We’re excited about Rashaad joining our team,” Smith said. “He is one of the most talented shooting guards in the nation and he’s very versatile. He fits our up-tempo style of play and he’s another fine addition from Oak Hill Academy and Steve Smith’s program.”
Prince, Bogans Make All-SEC;
Cats Picked 2nd in Eastern Division
University of Kentucky junior Tayshaun Prince was picked a first-team All-Southeastern Conference performer and teammate Keith Bogans was named to the second team in a vote by the media at the conclusion of the annual SEC Basketball Media Days on Nov. 2. Prince, the Wildcats’ leading returning scorer and rebounder, was a second-team selection at the end of last season. Arkansas’ Joe Johnson was named the SEC’s Preseason Player of the Year. Joining Johnson and Prince on the first team were Tennessee’s Tony Harris and Vincent Yarbrough and Florida’s Udonis Haslem. Bogans, who made the All-SEC Freshman team last season, joined D.A. Layne of Georgia, Rod Grizzard of Alabama, Chuck Eidson of South Carolina and Greg LaPointe of Vanderbilt on the preseason second team. Tennessee was picked to win the SEC Championship. Kentucky was tabbed to finish second in the Eastern Division followed by Florida, South Carolina, Georgia and Vanderbilt. Arkansas was picked to win the Western Division followed by Alabama, Miss. State, Auburn, LSU and Ole Miss.
Experience Factor
Kentucky has three upperclassmen (juniors and seniors) at its disposal. Nine of the 12 eligible and healthy Wildcats are freshmen or sophomores. Three of the Wildcats’ starters from last season’s 23-10 team return. Tayshaun Prince, the starting power forward last year, will be used primarily at his more natural position of small forward this season. The Cats return both starting guards – Smith and two-guard Keith Bogans. UK lost three of its top five scorers from last year – Jamaal Magloire (13.2 ppg), Desmond Allison (7.8 ppg) and Jules Camara (7.2 ppg). Returning production includes:
Points 59.9%
Rebounds 44.6%
Assists 69.5%
Blocks 36.8%
Steals 70.6%
Exhibition Results
Kentucky defeated the E.A. Sports/Cali-fornia All-Stars 98-82 on Nov. 2 behind freshman Jason Parker’s team-high 20 points.
After an 0-2 start in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, UK returned to face Athletes in Action, picking up a 94-84 victory thanks to a 24-point effort from Keith Bogans.
